Dexterity
Dexterity measures agility, reflexes, and balance. It represents your ability to move quickly and precisely.
What Dexterity Does
Dexterity affects many aspects of combat and exploration:
- Ranged Attack Rolls: When you make an attack with a ranged weapon like a bow or crossbow, you add your Dexterity modifier to the attack roll.
- Finesse Weapons: Some melee weapons have the finesse property, allowing you to use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack and damage rolls.
- Armor Class: If you're not wearing armor, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier.
- Initiative: You add your Dexterity modifier to initiative rolls to determine your turn order in combat.
Dexterity Skills
Three skills rely on Dexterity:
- Acrobatics: Staying on your feet in tricky situations, performing acrobatic stunts
- Sleight of Hand: Manual tricks requiring nimble fingers, picking pockets, concealing objects
- Stealth: Hiding from enemies, slinking past guards, sneaking up on someone
Dexterity Checks
A Dexterity check can model any attempt to move nimbly, quickly, or quietly, or to keep from falling on tricky footing.
Common Uses
- Controlling a heavily laden cart on a steep descent
- Steering a chariot around a tight turn
- Picking a lock or disabling a trap
- Playing a stringed instrument
- Crafting small or detailed objects
Example Difficulties
| DC | Difficulty | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Easy | Walk across a narrow but stable surface |
| 15 | Medium | Pick a simple lock or move silently |
| 20 | Hard | Walk across a tightrope or pick a complex lock |
| 25 | Very Hard | Balance on a swaying rope in high winds |